Production Machining

APR 2018

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Page 36 of 59

:: B axis provides better feature accessibility and contouring
capabilities, allowing the part to be addressed in such ways as
to often eliminate the need for secondary operations.
given the attention it deserves. Software companies are
constantly updating their products to help shops optimize
all of their shopfloor equipment. Updates to postproces-
sors and simulations are required to keep pace with the
release of new machine tools. Other programming features
may be added to ease the implementation of sophisticated
automation equipment or multitasking capabilities.
I recently sat down with John Buehler, brand manager
for production CAM at Vero Software (Tuscaloosa,
Alabama) to discuss his views on what his company is
doing to meet the needs of shops in this quickly changing
manufacturing environment. He provides insights about
how CAM systems can help bring out the best in machine
tools, tooling, automation and monitoring systems.
Taking Advantage of B Axis
e evolution of machine tools has brought us new ways
of cutting parts to help reduce handling, and thus also
reduce cycle times and the potential for error. Multitasking
functionality and B-axis capabilities allow the part to be
addressed in such ways as to often eliminate the need for
secondary operations. e significant benefits of the B axis
are in finish, feature accessibility, contouring and the ability
to reduce cycle time. But these features also bring with them
new programming challenges.
As an example of applications in which B axis is well
suited, Mr. Buehler says shops that put a finish turn on
high-value parts where controlling the angle of the tool tip
allows a consistent contact point normal to the component
while following the contour of the part. e shape of the
part will require varying the angle of the tool. Other times,
the B axis can eliminate the need for multiple tools that
would otherwise need to be inserted at different angles
to access certain features of a part or for multidirectional
cutting, further reducing the need for tool changes.
Mr. Buehler says, like any other process optimization, it's
about taking seconds out. "A few here, a few there," he says.
"When you have hundreds of operations on a component
and you can eliminate a couple of seconds each for half of
those operations, suddenly you're saving minutes per part.
ousands of parts later you're seeing huge savings."
One of the keys to successful use of the B axis is the
ability to confidently and productively program its
functionality. e CAM system needs to be capable
of handling the complexity of five-axis simultaneous
machining, and the programmer needs to be able to imple-
ment these capabilities.
Vero's Edgecam software is designed for precise control
of the tool as it follows the cutting path. For ease of
use, each toolpath has a standard template of the most
:: B-axis machining on both the main and subspindles
maximizes productivity for optimum machine performance.
:: Vero Inspect is designed to facilitate on-machine, in-process
measurement by running a probe as a tool within the machine.
Optimization with B xis
productionmachining.com :: 35